+JMJ
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His name.
And his mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength in His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And has exalted those of low degree;
He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich Has has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.
(Lk. 1:46-55)
Among the many benefits that classic literature affords is a study of human nature which is revealed by perceptive authors who portray their characters in a fashion which transcends the era in which they live. Elinor Dashwood, one of the protagonists in Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility, is frequently plagued by a troublesome companion, Lucy Steele. The latter young woman imposes a trust upon the elder Miss Dashwood when she purposely reveals a secret engagement to the former's love interest, Edward Ferrars. Assuming Elinor's attachment to her fiance, Lucy consistently strives to cultivate feelings of jealousy in the other; feigning friendship while conspicuously emphasizing her superior position to Elinor. Miss Dashwood courageously refuses to indulge Lucy; pitying Edward for his evidently immature decision as a youth, rather than questioning her own merit as a worthy companion.
In one's journey to holiness he is frequently assailed by temptations, not the least of which is jealousy. Sometimes temptations to this vice arise from the devil sowing seeds of insecurity; at other times, the soul is enticed to the inverse, as envy drives him to willfully excite jealous feelings in another person who he imagines to be his competitor.
Trapped in a jealous mindset a soul forgets that the race he is competing in is against himself, not against others. Unfortunately the present culture only encourages this competitive spirit as the majority engages in an endless spewing of personal information— accomplishments, experiences, relationships, opinions, etc.— that consciously or unconsciously broadcasts their superiority. This tendency is not only found in secular society but frequently occurs in the Christian community when the holy desire to reform is distorted into the perverse desire to perform. Does one keep in mind that in his excitement to highlight his advances, he may be also accentuating his neighbor's shortcomings?
The saints recognize that the road to perfection consists in the daily acceptance of God's will. Peace is attained when one's will and spiritual practices are attuned to his vocation and ability. The truly humble soul can never be jealous because he acknowledges that there has been and will always be someone smarter, prettier, wealthier, wittier, holier, etc. Confident that God knows of his capability, the saint is secure in the knowledge that sanctity lies in the many daily fidelities he practices in his vocation. The jealous soul is hardened against His Maker; refusing to be grateful for how he has been made and what he has been given. But a soul at peace rejoices in his littleness and truly says with the Pslamist:
"For it was You who formed my inward parts; You knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Ps. 139: 13-14)
